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Friday, October 31, 2014

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans Recipe, with or without Gorgonzola Cheese (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Gorgonzola, wow! Or make them without the Gorgonzola if you prefer!

The very best recipes of all are probably ones that people excitedly describe and urge their friends to try, and if that's true, then this recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans must be doubly good. First my friend Trudy told me about the roasted brussels sprouts with pecans that were such a hit when she made them. Pecan Brussels Sprouts from The Blackberry Farm Cookbook were the ones Trudy made, and I found that recipe online and adapted it a little for the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans pictured above.

Then, when I mentioned on Twitter that I was making them, Sean from Hedonia shared that he makes roasted brussels sprouts with hazelnuts, and always tosses the hot sprouts with a little bit of crumbled blue cheese, like the photo above. I loved the idea, so I tossed half the batch with some Gorgonzola cheese as Sean had suggested. Whether or not you're opting for the addition of blue cheese or Gorgonzola, this recipe is a keeper!

For a holiday like Thanksgiving where you have lots of food to prepared, I'd splurge for pre-washed and trimmed brussels sprouts, like this bag I got from Costco.

Cut the brussels sprouts in quarters lengthwise. Don't worry if some leaves fall off, because the single leaves get nice and crispy in the roasting. This is half the bag, or one pound of brussels sprouts, which made about 4 servings.

Chop the pecans, then measure out about 1/4 cup. (I used a bit more pecans than the original recipe called for.) You could use hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds if you don't have pecans.

Toss together the quartered brussels sprouts, pecans, olive oil, salt and pepper. There's not a lot of seasoning, so be generous with the salt and pepper.

Choose a roasting pan or dish where you can fit the brussels sprouts in a single layer, or close to it. (I was using my toaster oven, or I would have used a bigger dish.)

This crumbled Gorgonzola which I was lucky enough to have in the fridge has only 8 grams of fat in 1/4 cup, and you're only using a few tablespoons.

Here's the finished brussels sprouts after I roasted them, completely delicious without the Gorgonzola.

And after I heard about Sean's idea on Twitter, I tossed about half the sprouts with some Gorgonzola. Either way is great, so take your choice!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans (with or without Gorgonzola Cheese)

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh brussels sprouts
1/4 cup chopped pecans (or less, original recipe used 1/4 cup for 2 lbs. brussels sprouts, which didn't seem like enough to me)
2-3 tsp. olive oil, plus a bit more to brush the baking dish or roasting pan
salt to taste (original recipe calls for kosher salt but I used sea salt)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp. butter (optional, to toss the brussels sprouts, and only if not using the gorgonzola)
2-3 T crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (use more or less to taste, and skip the butter if using Gorgonzola)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Brush roasting pan or dish with a small amount of olive oil, using a pastry brush or paper towel. (I used less than a teaspoon of oil for this.)

Trim ends of brussels sprouts if needed, then cut each lengthwise into fourths. Don't worry if some leaves fall off, because the loose ones will get a bit more crispy when they roast and add a lot of flavor. Chop pecans with a knife and measure out 1/4 cup or slightly less.

Put quartered brussels sprouts and chopped pecans into a plastic bowl, then toss with olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. (I would use a generous amount of salt and pepper since there's no other seasoning. The original recipe called for 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper for 1 lb. brussels sprouts. I used sea salt and used a little less salt than that.)

Arrange brussels sprouts and pecans on roasting pan, making a single layer as much as you can. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender and starting to brown on the edges. I stirred several times so different sides of the brussels sprouts would get browned.

You can serve immediately without any butter if desired, or toss with butter or Gorgonzola Cheese before serving. Serve hot. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in a hot oven or toaster oven, but you probably won't have any left!

No matter which variation you use, this low-glycemic dish would be pretty South Beach Diet friendly for any phase of the diet. Naturally, the versions without butter or Gorgonzola cheese are better for South Beach because there is some fat in the pecans and olive oil, but for a holiday like Thanksgiving or a "once in a while treat" I wouldn't worry about using the small amount of butter or Gorgonzola. This would be a great recipe for many other types of low-carb eating plans as well.

Nutritional Information?
I chose the South Beach Diet to manage my weight partly so I wouldn't have to count calories, carbs, points, or fat grams, but if you want nutritional information for a recipe, I recommend entering the recipe into Calorie Count, which will calculate it for you.

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Posts may include links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com, and this blog earns a few cents on the dollar if readers purchase the items I recommend, so thanks for supporting my blog when you shop at Amazon!

Over the years, Brussels sprouts have weaseled their way into my good graces. I find the recipe with hazelnuts and Gorgonzola particularly appealing. This would make the perfect Thanksgiving side dish.

I live in Belgium and I love are brussels sprouts but in Belgium we put a little nutmeg to the sprouts and it is sooooo goed ,I like the recipe with nuts and gorgonzola so I will try it,thank you for the recipe

I find this recipe to be so interesting (and delicious) because I've seen a similar one that uses butternut squash instead of brussels sprouts. Crazy how fall foods go well with the same flavors/ingredients as each other.

Sean, such a brilliant combination. Thanks again for sharing it. I think this is going to be my favorite way to cook brussels sprouts.

Dara, it took me a while to warm up to them too, but this recipe would win anyone over (well, as long as they like blue cheese.)

Lydia, best brussels sprouts ever! I highly recommend them.

Miranda, you're welcome. (And I agree!)

Karen, all credit for the idea to Trudy and Sean, but definitely a winner.

Barbara, if you like blue cheese, this will win you over.

Maria, highly recommend the blue cheese.

Gissie, very intrigued by the idea of a little nutmeg with brussels sprouts. Hope you like this version too.

Joanne, it's funny because after I had made this, talked to Sean on Twitter, tried the version with Gorgonzola, and posted this recipe I was looking at my del.icio.us links and I saw a recipe for butternut squash with pecans and blue cheese that I saved last year. I'm definitely going to try that next!

Aren't the crisp single leaves that fall off the best? I call them Brussels sprout chips, and I tend to snitch them before they are put on the table. I love the idea of tossing them with blue cheese. This weekend I made Brussels sprouts au gratin with Gruyere cheese and walnuts. Very delicious as well. I am so glad to see that so many people are willing to give Brussels sprouts another chance.

I don't think that there is a better side dish for this season. I have grown up loving brussels sprouts so I am very glad that they are so "in" now, finally people can realize what they've been missing out on.

This is coming from a life long Brussel Sprouts hater..Good stuff, Kalyn! I'll make this again. Next time I won't use frozen brussel sprouts, they were off color due to time in the freezer and not too crunchy, but the overall flavor was good! Definitely will make this again.

I made these the other night and had to substitute walnuts. (Had forgotten that I used the last of my pecans in some cookies I'd made the week before.) It was quite good, even with walnuts, although I used a bit too many...that's what I get for not measuring. Now I see the comment about sprouts, walnuts, and gruyere. Will be trying that next.

wow, Kalyn, I want to thank you for this recipes. I never enjoyed Brussels sprouts before but roasting it your way changed that for me! I added slivered almonds instead of pecans and added some crushed red chili flakes alongwith salt & pepper; and just before eating I sprinkled some fresh lemon juice.. delicious! thanks for sharing.

Kalyn, After trying my mother's Brussel Sprouts as a teenager, I vowed to never touch them again. Fifteen years later I must say, these are not my mother's sprouts! These are delicious! The picture and thought of Gorgonzola cheese sold me and I knew it would be a winner. My husband and I devowered the entire batch as soon as it came out of the oven. Thank you for another delicious and healthy recipe!

I've got pecans (they have only now become available in Estonia) and last week I bought a packet of frozen brussels sprouts (also, not very widely available over here). I hadn't really decided what to use the cabbage for, but I've got an idea now :)Thank you, Kalyn!!

I made this recipe for the millionth time (a little exaggerated, maybe) yesterday, and it was absolutely fabulous. It is this recipe that made me realize that Brussels sprouts are now my favorite vegetable!

I never knew I liked brussel sprouts before I discovered this recipe back 2 years ago (I think when you first posted it). I just pulled it out for the first time this season - yum. I still haven't found another way to cook them that makes me quite so happy.

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